What’s the first & second most important thing to you in your life other than family or partner?

I would expect a diverse range of answers here as this is what is supposed to show the precepts in how our mode of thoughts work, in other words what principles you think by as everybody’s principles are quite different especially when you take in the second most important factor.

What’s most important to us dictates who we will get along with & who we won’t & of course how we think for example like someone interested in science & the economy will have a different principle of thought to someone who is interested in sports & politics or to someone interested in the religion & community, it’s what makes us think in different ways to each other & in fact it’s important that we do think differently because that is what gives us balance within the social structure. If we all, for example, had the same importance like science & the economy other parts of our social structure would suffer & so would we all in the long run.

I find it interesting how important it is for us all to have different principles of thought.

May 15 2013:
Hi Mathew!
When I think of what is important to me, what forms me as an individual, what helps me stay in touch with myself so I can be a better person, a better wife, a better mother, I have to say singing and music.

For anyone who follows anything I post, this will come as no surprise, I'm sure! I tend to bring music and singing into every aspect of my life - or, perhaps, because it is such a vital part of me, it brings itself up!
Sometimes, singing and music is like an entity of its own - without any guidance on my part, a song (existing or made up) will tend to emerge in me, and my natural instinct is to let it out.

This absolutely has an impact on who I interact with - who I married, for starters! You could say, music is the foundation of our relationship. It is the one thing we can always use to communicate, when we don't know what to say to each other!
But, because it is such a huge part of who I am, I see it can sometimes intimidate others. Not everyone understands or appreciates when someone bursts into song, mid-conversation. When I feel I have to 'hold my tongue' in someone's company, I am actually hiding an important element of my character, which doesn't feel right at all. As a result, my circle of friends is small and intimate, and completely trusting.

You & my miss's seem to have a fair bit in common, you both sew & you both burst out in song when you feel like it by the sounds of it, my clever little wife even made our wedding outfits which were in a yellow theme, quite impressive.

What we hold dear to us does determine if we click with others or not & how we think, it's these different modes of thought that determine our actions & reactions. Could you imagine if we where all just into science & the economy, what a thought, very little music but of course they too have there place in society which in all gives us balance.

It's the one's like you who give us music & it's the scientists who give us progress & of course this goes on & on with other people & what they hold dear to them, passion is a wonderful thing.

May 15 2013:
I know what you mean, Mathew. Recently I was 'wailing' in the car, using a balled fits as an 'air mic' at a stoplight. The person in the car next to me certainly enjoyed the show! I felt good, I gave that person a smile!

Indeed, it's amazing how, when we embrace our strengths and passions, whatever they may be, we can fill each other in. That's what a community is, and what society should be!

May 15 2013:
I find answering this type of question to be fraught with complexity and difficulty, all because of that one word, important.

To begin with, besides family or partner, you might want to exclude a list of items that most of us in the TED community take for granted: air, potable water, food, clothing, shelter, health (especially mental health). There are many other things that would be very important if they were unavailable, like soap and transportation.

After we clear up all of that, there are several ways to measure importance. An economist would look at your budget for the answer. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to examine how we spend our time. Of course, there is emotional importance, how we feel about something, regardless of time or money spent. There is also how we think about something; we can establish importance through reason. An evolutionary scientist might tell us that reproduction is everyone's top priority, regardless of what we think, feel or say. Many would say that faith is supreme and establishes all other priorities.

Personally, right now my health is my top priority. Specifically, I am trying to establish regular sleeping hours. Sleep is very important. I am unable to determine what is second in importance. Perhaps it will become clear after I start sleeping regularly.

If we take in one word environment, what does that mean to you? Well environment takes in a lot of the things you mentioned here Barry like clean air & water, food, clothing, shelter & even health because the word environment just doesn't refer to the state of the planet but ourselves as well because we too are a part of that environment & what we live in is a part of our environment as well like shelter & clothes so no Barry it's not that complicated just say environment & why, simple.

What's important to you at this time for you Barry is your health so say health & then environment, it is funny how we are trained to complicate the things that are really quite simple in the modern age, I find that quite interesting. I love how everyone's mode of thought is so different as you have demonstrated here Barry & of course one isn't better than another just different which inturn give us different reactions & perceptions.

I have indeed been trained, largely self trained, to see the complications in situations that seem simple. That ability has proved very valuable to me in my work and in my life. On the other hand, the ability to see simplicity in situations that appear complicated is very valuable too. We would probably make a good team.

Well if we all simplified everything we wouldn't know much of anything so simplification has it's limits.

Yes we probably would make a good team as we would balance each other out, the funny thing is I usually do things in a complicated way which is usually the best most reliable way, the simplest ways are usually short cuts which don't always pan out.

May 15 2013:
Barry, I really enjoy your perspective on these conversations in general, this one in particular.
When I read Mathew's question, I never even considered the basic elements I need to survive, as important! When, they are in fact, vital! Thank you for pointing this out!

I also have a suggestion for your sleeping pattern, which you may or may not have tried... When I am jet-lagged, I use Melatonine. It's natural, and I can get it at the local drug store here in Holland.
As a Mom, I know how destructive sleep deprivation can be, and hope you can get your sleep regulated sooner, rather than later!http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/melatonin-and-sleep